Childminder, Out-of school day care in Darlington

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 29/10/2014 24/11/2010

p.1

early years provision

This inspection: 3 Previous inspection: 3 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 3 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 3

p.1

This provision requires improvement

 Children are happy and settle very well due to the warm, welcoming environment created by the friendly and caring childminder. Children are well supported to develop their confidence within the setting.  Children have regular opportunities to develop their social skills through their attendance at various groups, where they get the opportunity to mix and play with other children.  The childminder supports children's language skills well as she constantly talks to them and teaches them new words as they play.

p.1

It is not yet good because

 The childminder has not yet extended her safeguarding policy to include the use of mobile phones and cameras to fully protect the children in her care.  The sharing of information about children's ongoing development with parents is not well embedded. This does not fully support continuity of learning.  Self-evaluation lacks rigour; it does not ensure that the views of parents and children are used effectively to fully identify and plan priorities for improvement.  Opportunities to support children in making independent choices about what they play with are not fully extended.

p.1

Information about this inspection

Inspections of registered early years provision are:  scheduled at least once in every inspection cycle – the current cycle ends on 31 July

p.2

Information about this inspection

 scheduled more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged inadequate  brought forward in the inspection cycle where Ofsted has received information that suggests the provision may not be meeting the legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage or where assessment of the provision identifies a need for early inspection  prioritised where we have received information that the provision is not meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and which suggests children may not be safe  scheduled at the completion of an investigation into failure to comply with the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

p.2

Information about this inspection

The provision is also registered on the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. This report includes a judgment about compliance with the requirements of that register.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector viewed the premises, toys and equipment.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the childminder and children at appropriate times during the inspection.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector reviewed relevant documentation, including the children's learning journals and a sample of policies and procedures.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of the childminder's qualifications and evidence of the suitability of all adult living or working at the premises.  The inspector observed activities planned by the childminder.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents through the letters provided for the inspection.

p.2

Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 1999 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her husband in a house in the Darlington area of County Durham. The whole of the ground floor and the rear garden are used for childminding. Occasionally the childminder's husband works as an assistant. The childminder attends a toddler group. She visits the shops and park on a regular basis. She collects children from the local schools and pre-schools. There are currently seven children on roll, two of whom are in the early years age group and attend for a variety of sessions. She operates all year round from 7am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, except bank holidays and family holidays.

p.3

must:

 ensure children remain protected from risks by fully implementing a policy which covers the use of mobile phones and cameras in the setting

p.3

must:

 improve the two-way sharing of information with parents to more effectively engage parents in their child's learning in the setting and to encourage parents to contribute information on an ongoing basis, so that this information can be used to inform the planning of activities.

p.3

To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

 improve self-evaluation by incorporating the views of parents and children more effectively and prioritising targets for improvement that will raise the overall quality of practice and the level of children's achievements

p.3

To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

 extend the opportunities for children to make independent choices, for example, by displaying pictures as well as words on storage boxes, that contain toys and resources.

p.3

who attend

The childminder has a suitable understanding of the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Consequently, children are making secure progress in their learning and development. The childminder collects some information from parents when children initially begin to attend to inform her of their starting points. She uses this information, alongside her own observations to plan activities that suit each child's individual developmental needs. Planning focuses around the children's interests. The childminder knows the children she cares for very well. She completes regular observations on what the children can do, which provide her with a clear understanding of how to plan for the next steps in each child's learning.

p.3

who attend

The childminder is warm, friendly and generally attentive to the needs of the children. She sits on the floor and participates appropriately with them in their chosen activities, teaching them skills which will suitably promote their overall development. For example, the childminder models counting as children stack the plastic beakers, providing them with regular praise and encouragement as they begin to count for themselves unprompted. Children's communication and language skills are suitably encouraged as the childminder talks to them as they play, offering a running commentary of what is happening. Children join in enthusiastically with songs and rhymes, with the childminder providing electronic pictures for children to watch as they sing their songs. Alongside this, the childminder teaches children simple Polish songs and uses both English and Polish words to describe different colours. Children have suitable opportunities to play with different materials, such

p.4

who attend

as paints, pens and crayons to develop their early writing skills. Children enjoy being creative as they make their own gluing and sticking pictures of a tree, which the childminder displays on her living room door. This helps children to develop their self- esteem as they proudly show visitors their creations. Children demonstrate they are willing to 'have a go'. For example, they persevere as they complete simple inset puzzles and create their own stories using the different bears. Children are developing suitable physical skills as they go for regular walks in the local environment, balance on the low level boards and stepping stones and roll the soft balls. The childminder takes children on a suitable range of outings to places, such as, the shops and parks. The childminder provides appropriate opportunities for the children to socialise with others in larger groups. Consequently, children are beginning to learn the necessary skills to prepare them

p.4

who attend

The childminder states that parents have access to their child's electronic learning journal. This means that they are able to see information about their child's development. In addition, the childminder is aware of the need to complete and share with parents the progress check for children aged between two and three years, when the time comes. However, systems to fully involve parents in sharing ongoing observations of children's learning, achievements and developing interests at home are not sufficiently embedded. This means that information about children's wider experiences is not taken into account by the childminder when planning learning activities.

p.4

The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

The childminder provides a warm, comfortable and homely environment for children to play and relax. She has effective procedures in place for settling in new children. She encourages parents to visit with children and then leave them for short periods so they can all get to know each other. This means there is a smooth move from home into the childminder's care and this helps children feel happy and secure. Children demonstrate that they have close attachments with the childminder and that they feel comfortable. Children are effectively supported in behaving well as the childminder provides lots of appropriate praise and encouragement to promote their self-esteem. They are learning to share and take turns with resources. The childminder discusses behaviour management with parents and agrees strategies to be followed with them.

p.4

The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Children benefit from the use of a dedicated playroom where they generally access most of the suitable range of toys and activities independently. However, not all the contents of boxes are visible or labelled in ways that assist children in making even more informed independent choices, for example, with pictures as well as with words. The childminder supports children to become independent in self-care routines. For example, she encourages them to feed themselves and supports them in learning to drink from a cup. The childminder holds an up-to-date paediatric first-aid qualification to enable her to deal with children's needs appropriately in the event of an accident. This supports their well- being and safety. The equipment and resources are safe and appropriate to meet the needs of the children attending. The childminder helps children learn about keeping themselves safe. For example, she carries out emergency evacuation procedures with

p.5

The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

children so she can be confident she can evacuate the premises quickly and safely in an emergency.

p.5

The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Children's health is appropriately promoted. The childminder maintains suitable standards of hygiene throughout all childminding areas and effective procedures are followed for nappy changing and hand-washing. Consequently, the risk of cross-infection is minimised. Parents provide children's meals, which the childminder supplements with healthy snacks of fresh and dried fruits. She helps children learn how to make healthy choices by talking to them about the foods they eat. This helps to raise their understanding of what foods are good for them and keeps them well nourished. Satisfactory provision is made to promote children's physical development as children have daily opportunties to have fresh air on walks and trips to local parks. Children attend sessions at local community groups to help develop their social skills and mix with others. In addition, they accompany the childminder and older children on school runs, helping to familiarise them with other

p.5

provision

The childminder has a satisfactory understanding of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation. She shows an appropriate understanding of how to safeguard the children in her care. She has completed training in child protection and shows a clear understanding of the signs and symptoms of abuse. She is confident about what steps she would take if she had a concern about a child in her care and also knows what to do if there are any allegations about adults in the household. However, the childminder has not included the use of mobile phones and cameras in her safeguarding policy. This is a breach of legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. However, this lack of detailed information does not have a significant impact on children's safety and well-being. The childminder knows about the requirement to inform Ofsted of any changes which may affect her childminding. All adults within the home have the

p.5

provision

appropriate checks, to ensure their suitability to be around children and she never leaves children alone with unvetted adults. The childminder completes risk assessments for all areas indoors and for outings. She holds up-to-date public liability insurance and uses appropriate safety equipment and procedures to keep children safe, including keeping external doors locked and supervising children at all times.

p.6

provision

The childminder has a suitable understanding of the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Monitoring of the educational programmes provided by the childminder is sufficient to ensure that all areas of learning are appropriately covered. The childminder demonstrates a developing understanding of how to monitor her practice to identify areas for development. However, she has not implemented effective ways to gather the views of parents to help her with this process, or put in place procedures to swiftly address priorities for improvement. The childminder occasionally uses her husband as an assistant. She supervises him regularly and monitors his practice to ensure children are always appropriately cared for. The childminder is fully aware that if she were to leave in him in sole charge of children, with parental permission, he would need an appropriate paediatric first-aid certificate. She discusses practice issues

p.6

provision

with childminding colleagues, as well as seeking advice from local authority advisers.

p.6

provision

Overall, the childminder has developed positive relationships with parents. They receive daily feedback of their children's care needs and what they have enjoyed during their day. Parents comment favourably on the service the childminder provides stating that they are extremely pleased with the service and have no complaints.The childminder displays important information, such as her certificates of registration and insurance so parents can see them. The childminder does not have any children who currently attend other settings; however, she is aware of the importance of sharing information with other providers to support continuity of care and learning.

p.6

The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are Met The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are Met

p.6

Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding Outstanding provision is highly effective in meeting the needs of all children exceptionally well. This ensures that children are very well prepared for the next stage of their learning. Grade 2 Good Good provision is effective in delivering provision that meets the needs of all children well. This ensures children are ready for the next stage of their learning. Grade 3 Requires improvement The provision is not giving children a good standard of early years education and/or there are minor breaches of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. We re-inspect nurseries and pre-schools judged as requires improvement within 12 months of the date of inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate Provision that is inadequate requires significant improvement and/or enforcement action. The provision is failing to give children an acceptable standard of early years education and/or

p.7

Grade Judgement Description

is not meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected again within six months of the date of this inspection. Met There were no children present at the time of the inspection. The inspection judgement is that the provider continues to meet the requirements for registration. Not met There were no children present at the time of the inspection. The inspection judgement is that the provider does not meet the requirements for registration.

p.7

Inspection

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and care, known as the Early Years Foundation Stage.

p.8

Setting details

Unique reference number 301098 Local authority Darlington Inspection number 876651 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 12 Number of children on roll 7

p.8

Telephone number

set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

p.8

Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

p.8

Type of provision

Full-time provision is that which operates for more than three hours. These are usually known as nurseries, nursery schools and pre-schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the higher fee for registration.

p.8

Type of provision

Sessional provision operates for more than two hours but does not exceed three hours in any one day. These are usually known as pre-schools, kindergartens or nursery schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the lower fee for registration.

p.8

Type of provision

Childminders care for one or more children where individual children attend for a period of more than two hours in any one day. They operate from domestic premises, which are usually the childminder’s own home. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage.

p.9

Type of provision

Out of school provision may be sessional or full-time provision and is delivered before or after school and/or in the summer holidays. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. Where children receive their Early Years Foundation Stage in school these providers do not have to deliver the learning and development requirements in full but should complement the experiences children receive in school. achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children,

p.9

Type of provision

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

p.10

Type of provision

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.10